Scavenger Hunt
by hmcfanaddict
Summary: Piper is sick and having mood swings, Leo is being pig-headed and a demon is running around. This couldn't get any worse. Oops, I didn't just say that did I?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own charmed or any of the characters.  
  
A/N: I really like the original three so in my story Prue is still around. A little after season three, when Piper could control her, uh, "blowing up?" better.  
  
Scavenger Hunt  
  
Prue walked into the kitchen where Phoebe was drinking coffee. Prue: "That's strange, we're up before Piper, usually she.." Prue was interrupted by a loud explosion. Phoebe and Prue raced upstairs to find Piper standing there watching Leo reform. Leo: "Ow, Piper, I said I was sorry. Piper: "Not for last night!" Leo: "I'm sorry." Piper: "Good" Piper, seeing her sisters, stormed by them out of the room. Phoebe: "Whoa" Prue: "What happened?" Leo: "Long story. Listen, the Elders wanted me to tell you that a demon has surfaced in San Francisco and you'd better keep an eye out for him. He's called the scavenger demon because he only preys on witches when they are at their weakest." Phoebe: "Bully" Leo: "Anyway, you guys should look for a vanquish. Oh, and could you get Piper to take that cough medicine. I can't get her to and she's getting worse." Prue: "Sure, but where are you going?" Leo: "The Elders have me busy with another witch they think is a possible target." With that said Leo orbed out. Prue: "Wow, what an eventful morning. Phoebe, BOS or Piper?" Phoebe: "BOS, definitely." As Prue went downstairs she heard someone coughing as if they were going to cough up their lung. Piper: "Dt" Prue heard Piper curse before the coughing started again but worse. Prue waited until the coughing stopped before entering the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Piper. Piper looked like the living dead. At any moment she expected her to fall over. Prue decided to start small. Prue: "Piper, you look exhausted." Piper: "I am. I DIDN'T get much SLEEP LAST NIGHT!!!" Prue heard the anger dripping off her words. Just then Piper blew up the pot she had been trying to clean. Prue: "PIPER!! Why on earth did you do that!!!?" Piper looked like she was going to answer but then Prue saw her rage leave her. She didn't have enough energy to be that angry for this long. Finally she just shrugged. Piper: "I don't know Prue, I don't know." Piper walked off mumbling to herself about not knowing. Prue stared after her, starting to feel very worried about her sister. Suddenly Prue remembered what Leo had told her. She ran after Piper. She found her in the solarium. Prue: "Piper, why don't you take that cough medicine Leo has?" Piper: "You're kidding right? The Elders gave me that to brainwash me...and Leo knew it. Prue: "Brainwash you of what?" Piper: "To respect them and agree with them." Prue: "How do you figure?" Piper: "A while after I first took some, I couldn't be angry at Them no matter what. When I asked Leo, he admitted it, but insisted I take more. Then he stood me up last night without even so much as an orb to tell me he couldn't make it. I can't believe him!" Piper suddenly became so exasperated, she turned and blew up a plant. Prue: "Piper, you need to calm down." Piper: "I can't calm down. I...I feel so...confused!" Again she blew up a plant. Prue: "Piper, STOP!!" Prue grabbed Piper's hands. Prue: "Piper, you are burning up!" Piper: "It's not that bad Prue." Prue: "The hl it isn't, Piper. You need to rest." Just then Phoebe came in. Phoebe: "I found the demon, and let me tell you, he is one tough guy." Piper: "Demon? What demon? Prue, why didn't you tell me?" Prue: "Because you need to rest." Piper: "I'll rest when I feel like it!" Piper got up and started to leave the room. Suddenly she felt herself get extremely dizzy. Her body felt very heavy and her head felt like it was floating. She grabbed a chair before she fell. Phoebe: "Piper, are you okay?" Phoebe started heading towards her. Piper's vision soon cleared but a thick feeling of nausea lay in the pit of her stomach. Phoebe: "Piper..." Piper: "I'm fine!!" Piper pushed Phoebe away and hurried upstairs. Phoebe: "Is Mars in retrograde or what?" Prue just shrugged, hoping that the day would not get any worse. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own charmed.  
  
A/N: Many thanks to those who reviewed!  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Piper hurriedly made her way upstairs, making it to the bathroom just in time. After her stomach had emptied itself, she grabbed a washcloth, wet it, and put it on her burning forehead. Sliding down to the floor she let her mind wander.

Piper: _Man, I feel awful. But that is no reason to take it out on my sisters...or Leo. I'm mad at_ _him, but I didn't give him a chance. What is wrong with me?_

Piper sighed and headed for her bed. Maybe a nap would clear her mind and lift her spirits. As she closed her eyes, she thought of the demon that Phoebe had mentioned. A very bad feeling came over her but she was too weak to worry. Meanwhile downstairs, Phoebe was finishing filling in Prue about the demon.

Phoebe: "He goes for those weak in mind, body, and spirit. It's gonna take the power of three to get rid of this bad boy. Plus we have to lure him to a different plane for the vanquish to work."

Prue: "The plane of what?"

Phoebe: "Nothing."

Prue: "Nothing?"

Phoebe: "Yeah, a plane that exists to support nothing. I don't know why it's even there. I guess some sort of balance thing."

Prue: "Okay...I don't know about the power of three. I really don't think Piper is up to it. I really don't want her up against this demon."

Phoebe: "I know Prue, but it's the only way. Maybe she'll feel better later on."

Prue: "I don't know, I just have this really bad feeling..."

Just then Leo orbs in. The look on his face shows mixed emotions.

Phoebe: "What say you?"

Leo: "Well the good news is I am free to your disposal. The Elders have determined that the demon isn't after the other witch at all. The bad news is they can't be sure who he is after."

Prue: "Well let's get a move on. I want him dead as soon as possible and we have a lot of work to do."

As they broke to do their respective duties, upstairs Piper was tossing and turning in a fever induced dream. Somewhere our demon of the hour is also watching her.

Demon: "They don't know yet but soon you will be mine. All I have to do is wait for you to come to me."

With those words and a quite sinister laugh, he goes off to prepare for the appearance of the charmed three and their whitelighter.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own charmed.

A/N: Sorry it has been so long. CharmedAli, I understand completely.

Chapter 3

As everyone else went to their duties, Piper was caught in a very strange dream. The dream had started not long after she had fallen asleep and quickly took a turn for the worse. Piper's dream started normally. She was walking along a beach. All around her everything seemed to be at peace. Suddenly walls rose out of the sand and closed around her. It looked like a long corridor with doors running along each side. Piper began freaking out and ran to try the doors, desperately trying to find a way out. Voices started chanting around her, calling her name. At first, she was too preoccupied trying to escape to identify them. When she realized no doors were opening she focused on them. Leo was calling, and Prue and Phoebe. Also a darker more sinister voice she didn't recognize.

Piper: "What! What do you want?!"

Piper screamed in her dream, but unbeknownst to herself, aloud as well. Prue who had been coming to check up on her heard Piper's cry and hurried to see what was going on, thinking Leo might have decided to make a pit stop. Meanwhile Piper's voices had materialized to beings to which the voices belonged, teasing and taunting, calling her to a door only to slam it in her face, pushing her backwards. Once again she cried out.

Piper: "Stop it! I don't understand!"

The beings only seemed to laugh and increase the speed of their game. Fatigue was overcoming her when she saw herself as a child surrounded by the dark being and two others; a virus looking thing and a sickly chicken. Protectiveness kicking in, she took off to save…herself. Reaching them, she was repelled by some sort of force. Falling back she hit her head with a crack. Piper screamed in pain. Prue, who was now by her side, was startled by the sound of it. It sounded as though Piper were in danger.

Prue: "Piper, come on sweetie. Wake up. Please wake up."

Prue was urgently shaking Piper, pleading with her, as Piper began to writhe around, tangling herself with the sheets. Back in Piper's dream, little Piper's voice cried for help and it seemed to be coming from all directions. To make matters worse everything started spinning. Piper was on her hands and knees, trying to get oriented but unable to do so.

Piper: "I don't know how to help you!" "Tell Me!"

Phoebe: "Prue, what's going on?"

By now Phoebe and Leo had arrived. Leo had a strange look on his face, but made no move toward his suffering wife.

Prue: "I don't know but I think she needs to wake up…NOW!" "Help me!"

Phoebe ran to help the flailing Piper who was now soaked with sweat. In the dream Piper finally got up only to see her younger self killed by the beings. The dark one turned and said,

Demon: "You can never win. Stop trying."

Then the dream was over. Piper awoke with a start clinging to Prue's arms.

Piper: "Don't let me die!"

Piper pleaded to Prue still thinking of the dream. Prue hugged her, glancing at Phoebe over Piper's head. They both knew something was amiss here. Something more than the ordinary illness.

Phoebe: "You want me to…"

Prue: "Yeah."

Prue answered, knowing exactly what Phoebe was thinking. Phoebe reached gingerly toward Piper's shivering body.


	4. Chapter 4

Piper clung to Prue as Phoebe's fingertips came to rest on her arm. Phoebe was shocked at how cold Piper felt, like an icicle. Phoebe looked into Piper's eyes. She saw the fear, pain, and confusion. Suddenly a premonition was upon her. Phoebe gasped at the force of it. She felt like she was being ripped apart. One force was trying to take her into the premonition and another force was trying to keep her out. Both forces fought each other with Phoebe hanging in the balance. Suddenly Phoebe was thrown out of it, and the force threw her off the bed.

Prue: "Phoebe!"

Phoebe lay on the floor gasping for air.

Prue: "Phoebe, answer me!"

Prue was beginning to panic. One sister in potential danger is enough. There was no way she could deal with two.

Phoebe: "I'm okay, Prue."

Phoebe got out between gasps.

Phoebe: "I have never experienced anything like that before. It was so powerful."

She paused, trying to collect her thoughts.

Phoebe: "Is Piper okay?"

Prue, who had been absorbed in what had just happened with Phoebe, snapped her attention back to Piper.

Piper was shaking in Prue grasp, but she seemed to have calmed down from her initial fear. She didn't really seem to be aware of her surroundings.

Prue: "Piper? How are you feeling?

At first Piper didn't answer. Her entire body felt heavy. Her limbs felt like lead. She didn't think that she could move or answer Prue coherently.

Prue: "Piper, honey, can you talk?"

Piper: "Ugh…"

Suddenly a forceful cough racked Piper's body. Several minutes passed before she could finally suppress them.

Leo: "We need to get her to a doctor."

Prue and Phoebe jumped. Each had forgotten that Leo was still in the room. Turning to face him, Phoebe noticed an expression mixed with fear and determination.

Leo: "Get her to a doctor, but don't let her out of your sight. I'm going to the Elders."

Piper: "I don't need a doctor. There's a demon on the loose. I need to help my sisters. I just need a drink of water and I'll be as good as new."

Leo: "I don't have time to argue with you…"

With that, Leo orbed out.

Prue: "I agree. Piper, we're taking you to the doctor now."

Demon: "Not if I have anything to do with it."


End file.
